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20 THE CONDOR Vol. XlII approach. Most active in the'early morning, its characteristic note, a loud, clear "kow-kow-kow," may be heard coming from some tree or group of trees, and perchance an answering "kow-kow-kow," nmy come from another tree, some distance away. Vhen heard a few times, this note is easily imitated and is readily answered by the adults. Cautiously approaching the tree from which the call has come, the bird may be seen sittiug among the topmost branches, or as is far more likely, may be seen to dash forth and fly with a swift and graceful flight to another tree some distance away. Again may the tree be approached and again may the bird be seen to fly, but this time uot to stop uutil well beyond reach, and only a distant "kow-kow-kow" comes floating back on the still mornlug air to let you know whence the bird has gone. ?fter the birds retire to the willow bottoms to breed, their entire attitude changes. Wheu watched and stndied in the seclusion of their brush grown haunts, while engrossed with the cares of their domestic duties, the Cuckoos cease to be T Fig. 14. HAUNTS OF THE CALIFORNIA CUCKOO, IN SONOMA COIJ NTX. ' the wild, shy birds of the upland timber. The familiar "koxv-kow-kow" is noxv forsaken for another note, a low guttural note, "kuk-kuk-kuk," always uttered by a brooding bird and is the most common call of the cuckoo during the breeding season. One other note they have, uttered like the foregoing, only during the nesting period. This note I have never been able to imitate. It has a wonder- fully ventriloquistic power, and xvhen heard at a distance of fifty yards, often seems to be half a mile or more away. When uttered, this particular call begins with the low "kuk-kuk" but gradually changes to more of the "kow-kow-kow" note, and, just before the end, closely resembles a dull, heavy drumming on a resonant limb. On the 26th of June, 1909, while hunting through a portion of the above mentioned lagoon, ifi search of belated nests of the Russet-backed Thrush, I found a nest of the California Cuckoo which was a very substanti?al structure, considering the inefficiency of Cuckoos in general, as nest builders. It was placed upon a